Cement lath



Oct. 10, 1933. A 1l VARDEN 1,930,024

I CEMENT LATH Filed Jan. '7, 1931 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to cement laths; and an object of the invention is to provide an improved cement lath constructed and arranged so that it may be quickly attached to the supports, which are the usual studs of the buildings in which the -lath is used, and which dispenses with the neces- Ysity for using materials and substances now generally used where the usual metal laths are employed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cement lath comprising a formed slab having clearly defined lines of cleavage consist ing of grooves which also serve as recesses for engagement with a plastic coating, in combination with two series of flexible intersecting wires embedded in the slab and functioning as reinforcements and also as hinges to holdsections of the slab together when the Vslab is broken along the lines of cleavage and to permit the different portions of the slab to be adjusted in different angular positions.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in whichv Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view clearly illustrating a use of the present invention as a support for wall tiles.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with parts broken away showing the lath secured to the studs and coated with an adhesive coating to which tiles are applied.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing the manner in which the slabs may be bent to form an outside corner, the reinforcing elements functioning as hinges to prevent complete separation of the lath portions.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the lath bent to form an inside corner.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional View showing the manner in which the lath is attached to the studs and in which the tiles are supported in connection with the laths.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation showing the lines of cleavage and the reinforcing and hinge elements that are embedded in the lath.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing abutting ends of adjacent laths and the mannerin which they are secured to the studs.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, my improved lath comprises a slab of solidified cement or concrete or the like having lines of cleavage along which any lath section may be easily separated and having reinforcing and hinge members embedded in the lath material and crossing the lines of cleavage and constituting hinges, so that any lath section may be bent to form corners.

The lath thus constructed comprises a slab of solidified cement or concrete provided with a series of horizontal V -shaped grooves 1 and a series 60 of vertical V-shaped grooves 2 that intersect the grooves 1 and divide the slab into clearly defined sections 3. The intersecting grooves may be formed on both sides of each lath, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing, or, ii desired, they 65 may be omitted from one side.

A number of the sections 3Y are provided with elongated horizontal slots 4 in such numbers as to permit a sumcient number of nails 5 to pass through said slots and to be driven into the studs 6 to which the laths are to be attached. A number of these slots 4 are formed in each vertical and also in each horizontal row of sections 3, so that, irrespective of exact spacing of the studs, some Aof the slots 4 will be opposite the studs and will 75 receive the fasteners.. 'IlheseA slots constitute windows through which the studs may be seen and thus expedite the driving-of the nails.

A series of flexible wires or rods '7 extend horizontally through each lath in such spaced relationship as not to intersect any of the slots 4. A series of vertical flexible Wires or rods 8 are einbedded in each lath and are also arranged in such .relationship as to miss the slots 4, so that none of these wires or rods obstructs any of said slots. These wires or rods 7 and 8 may be woven or interlaced, as shown in Fig. 6, in order to facilitate their placement during the formation of the laths. it will be observed that all of the grooves 1 are .between the wires or rods 7 and that all of the 90 grooves 2 are between the wires or rods 8.

Each end of each lath consists of a half section 9 designed and arranged to abut against a similar half section on an adjacent lath, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the two abutting half sections on adjaj cent laths form a vertical row of half sections having a horizontal width approximately equal to any vertical row of sections 3. These half sections 9 have slots 10 therein to receive the fastening nails 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. g1/00 In use, these laths are laid against the studs 6 and a sufficient number of nails 5 are driven through slots 4 and into the studs 6 to hold the laths securely in position. These laths dispense with three parts now generally used in the setting 51A-05 of tiles to form walls. According to a present practice, metal laths of some familiar type are iirst attached to the studs and then a stiffening coat or layer of cement-like material is applied' to the lath and permitted to dry in order to stiften i lio -and the application of the tiles. 'tions are eliminated. `clear that my invention possesses numerous adthe lath properly. Then a smoothing coat of cement-like material is applied to the first coat and permitted to dry, after which a coat of bonding material for the tiles is applied to the second named coat. The tile is applied to the bonding coat While said bonding coat of plastic material is still in a plastic condition. My present lath is a substitution for the three rst named elements or materials comprising the usual metal lath, the first coat of stiffening material and the coat of smoothing material applied thereto. Asclearly shown in the drawing, a coat 11 of plastic material is applied to the outer surface of the laths andY obtains engagement in the grooves l and 2, so that this coat 11 Will permanently maintain a rm connection with the lath. While this coat 11 is still in a plastic condition, the tiles 12 are laid against.l

'the formation of a tile Wall may be much more rapidly performed than according to the practice above explained. No time `is lost or Wasted between the fastening of the laths to the studs Several opera- Acc'ordingly, it is very vantages and obtains many economies.

As shown in Fig. 3, any lath may be bent along 'any of the grooves 2 in order to form an outside corner, the longitudinal Wires or rods 7 holding the adjacent lath portions in connection with each other, said rods or Wires functioning as 'hinges permitting the turning or bending of the lath portions to these angular positions.

Similarly, Ythe laths may be used to form inside corners, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

These laths may be easily and rapidly manufactured in appropriate forms provided for the purpose, an initial layer of material being placed in the bottom of the forms, after which the Woven Wires or rods 7 and 8 are laid upon the initial layer and thereafter the final layer laid upon the woven Wires or rods to provide laths Aof the desired thickness in which saidwires or these laths are capable of use for other purposes to which the usual metallic laths and laths of other construction have been applied.

It is now clear that my invention obtains all of its intended objects in an economical and satisfactory manner. The invention may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle thereof.

Y I claim:

1. A flexible lath comprising a body of solidified plastic material having grooves in its outer side extending continuously the full Width of the lath and also having a series of spaced openings through which fasteners may be extended through the lath, in combination with a longitudinal series of wires wholly embedded in said body beyond the bottoms of said grooves and constituting connections holding together difierent portions of the lath broken along said grooves.

2. A flexible lath comprising a body of solidined plastic material having grooves in its outer side extending continuously the full Width of the lath and also having a series of spaced openings through which fasteners may be extended through the lath, in combination With a longitudinal series of wires Wholly embedded in said body beyond the bottoms of said grooves and constituting connections holding together different portions of the lath broken along said grooves, and aseries of vertical wires crossing said longitudinal Wires and Wholly embedded in said body.

3. A flexible lath comprising a body of solidied plastic material having opposing parallel grooves in its opposite faces along which said body may be broken and the portions thereof arranged in angular relationship, in combination With' a longitudinal series of Wires Wholly embedded in said body beyond the bottoms of said grooves and constituting connections holding together different portions of the lath broken along said grooves. Y

4. A flexible lath' comprising a body of solidied plastic material having opposing parallel -grooves in its opposite faces along Which said body may be broken and the portions thereof arranged in angular relationship, in combination with a longitudinal series of wires wholly embedded in said body beyond the bottoms of said grooves and constituting connections holding together different portions of the lath broken along said grooves, and a vertical series of wires crossing said longitudinal Wires and being Wholly embedded in said body between said grooves.

ANTHONY J. VARDEN. 

